The American teachers' union, the National Education Association (NEA), has voted to cut institutional ties with the pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
During a resolution passed during the NEA's annual representative assembly, members called for the union to "cease using or promoting any ADL materials", including school curricula, statistics, and teacher training programmes.
The ADL highlights cases of antisemitism in the US but has also been accused of undermining its mandate with pro-Israel advocacy.
"The National Education Association will not use, disseminate, or endorse any ADL materials, such as its curriculum materials or statistics, nor will it participate in its programs or disseminate its professional development offerings," the document read.
The US-based Israel lobby group operates numerous training and "educational" programmes across media outlets, schools, law enforcement agencies, and the private sector through its network of local organisers and lobbyists.
Its constant support of Israel's policies despite its military actions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories has gathered spiralling scrutiny in recent years.
During the keynote meeting, NEA delegates slammed scaremongering tactics after it found that the ADL had inflated hate crime statistics regarding Jewish safety and the demonisation of Palestinian human rights advocacy groups. Speakers claimed the group has opposed historically pro-Palestine movements, including Black Lives Matter and Indigenous rights groups, over the past two years.
In 2024, ADL criticised the Massachusetts Teachers Association after schools advocated for the development of educational resources about Palestinian history in class, including the recognition of the Nakba.
The pro-Israel group accused the association of "glorifying terrorism" and "promoting antisemitism", which sparked death threats and abuse directed at union members.
In universities, the group lobbied against faculty and student organisations that opposed Israel's military operations in the besieged enclave. According to union officials, the ADL arguments were used to justify disciplinary measures against students critical of the deadly campaign that has already killed over 57,575 Palestinians and wounded at least 136,879 others.
Civil rights groups and Jewish anti-Zionist organisations, including Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, have repeatedly criticised the ADL for using its influence to allegedly promote a pro-Israel agenda under the guise of civil rights.
Protests by Jewish activists outside ADL offices in New York, San Francisco, and Washington have become more frequent over the past two years, calling the organisation "complicit" in Israeli violations of international law.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the US's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, has also welcomed the NEA vote.
"This principled move is a significant step toward fostering respect for the rights and dignity of all students in public schools, who must receive an education without facing biased, politically-driven agendas," CAIR said in a statement.